Would You Remove An Organ To Save Your Life?

• Author: Foreman, Kelsie

Genetic testing can tell you your risks of developing cancer. And what you can do to prevent it.

What if you could dramatically reduce your likelihood of developing cancer? Would you do it?

I'm not talking about lifestyle changes-things like avoiding processed sugars or eating plenty of garlic, though I'm sure we could all benefit from both-I'm talking about concrete proof that you will develop cancer. And concrete proof that you can do something about it. I'm talking about genetic testing.

Also known as DNA testing, genetic testing is used to determine a patient's potential risk of developing an inherited disease. Thanks to advances in modern medicine, these types of tests have even been used to determine a patient's likelihood of developing cancer based on several genetic indicators, or mutations. Once the testing process is complete, the patient and their physician can work together to develop an individualized healthcare plan based on the needs of their genetics. This might include lifestyle changes, specialized hormonal medications, or even the removal of an organ, all of which could prevent cancer from ever forming.

The most famous case of this is Angelina Jolie, who used Myriad's MyRisk Hereditary Cancer test back in 2013 to determine her risk of developing cancer. "A simple blood test had revealed that I carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene," she said in a New York Times article. "It gave me an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer." These test results led her to remove both breasts-a preventative double mastectomy-as well as her ovaries and fallopian tubes, thereby eliminating her chance of developing both cancers.

FAMILY HISTORY

For me, genetic testing has always seemed like a necessary component required to keep myself healthy and cancer-free. Both of my grandparents on my mother's side were diagnosed with colorectal cancers when I was just 11 years old. After the diagnosis, my Mother and her sister were thrown through a whirlwind of doctor's visits and chemotherapy appointments.

Though most of the caretaking responsibilities fell onto the shoulders of my mother's sister-we lived out of state at the time-the process was hard on our entire family. It was painful to watch both of my grandparents' hair start to thin while listening as their hope dwindled in the months before their final days.

After fighting the disease for years, they passed away within 10 months of one another. I was devastated. Even then, at the young age of 11, I wondered why there wasn't more that could be done to lessen the likelihood of developing this horrible, ruthless disease.

Now, some twelve years later, genetic testing can be used to do exactly that and I planned to try it out first...